EV travel across US simplified
Driving across the United States in an electric vehicle takes planning and patience. For car owners driving an EV or considering a green car alternative, the challenge is now easier.
Electrify America recently announced the completion of the first of two cross-country routes. It allows EV drivers to travel from coast to coast using the country’s largest open DC fast-charging network.
The three-year-old company, based in Reston, Va., has more than 450 operational stations with more than 2,000 individual charging ports. By the end of 2021, more than 800 stations combining for 3,500 charging ports will be available. Current locations in the Bay Area are plentiful.
“We are not proprietary,” said Rich Steinberg, Senior Director of Green Cities, Marketing and Communications for Electrify America. “You can have a (Nissan) Leaf, you can have a (Chevy) Bolt, you can have a Porsche or an Audi. You can charge no matter what vehicle (even Tesla) at one of our charging locations.”
The debuting Northern Route extends from Los Angeles to Washington, DC. It spans 11 states and more than 2,700 miles utilizing Electrify America’s network.
The first cross-country route travels along Interstates 15 and 70, providing high-powered chargers with speeds up to 350kw. Electrify America charging stations are on average about 70 miles apart in metro areas. On highway routes, they’re located conveniently by shopping malls, at retailers including Walmart and Target, as well as convenience store chains.
The completion of the second option, the Southern Route, is expected by the end of summer. Electric vehicle travelers can cross the southern portion of the U.S., from Jacksonville, Fla., to San Diego, on interstate highways starting near I-10 and finishing along I-8.
Likely the most severe EV industry obstacle is the public’s awareness and acceptance of the technology. It varies from the sale of vehicles to how they operate to range anxiety.
“One of the things we’ve pulled from our research associated with why people don’t buy an electric vehicle is because they are concerned there’s no charging available,” Steinberg said. “Either charging at home, which is actually not particularly true, or on the road.
“This is a major hurdle and the reason people don’t buy. We are doing a fair amount to educate them about the ubiquity of locations. And the fact that pretty much any route you wish to travel, city to city, you are going to be able to charge a vehicle relatively conveniently.”
Consumers considering their first EV or repeat buyers often are also concerned about the benefits of zero-emission vehicles as well as charging costs.
Like gas and hybrid cars and trucks, EV efficiency varies throughout the industry. Charging at home on an industry standard level 2 charger, according to Steinberg, is a prime example of the term “pennies on the dollar.” Costs to charging at EV consumer locations vary. Electrify America recently began to sell level 2 home-charging units.
“There are costs involved on our end, of course,” said Steinberg. “But we are comparable or better than gas prices.”
Electrify America is also expanding and adjusting its program in several other areas. A new payment structure will soon be announced, and it will be applicable to the company’s payment app, other card readers and credit cards. A new profile payment system coordinated with manufacturers is also planned.
Another new program is the AAA Car Subscription. In conjunction with Electrify America, 55 Volkswagen e-golf (2018) EVS are available for short-term subscriptions in the Sacramento region.
Through the service, members can drive an egolf with insurance, repairs, maintenance and emergency roadside assistance for one monthly subscription fee.
More Electrify America information is available via the website: www.electrifyamerica.com.
James Raia, a syndicated columnist in Sacramento, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter. Sign-ups are available on his website, theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached viaemail: james@jamesraia.com.